Modi's assurances on LBA, Teesta water deal
THE talks between Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the 18th Saarc summit in Kathmandu, have ended on a positive note. Indian premier has reassured Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina that two longstanding bilateral issues between next-door neighbours, Teesta water sharing deal and Land Boundary Agreement (LBA), would be resolved sooner rather than later. The good news is, unlike in the past, the LBA bill this time has not met with any opposition at the Indian parliamentary standing committee on the external affairs ministry and is now waiting to be sent to the next parliamentary session for its passage into a law. What's more, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, who earlier in 2011 opposed Teesta water deal, has now reportedly had a change of heart thereby brightening the prospect of clinching the treaty.
These are undoubtedly very welcome developments. Needless to say, these two unresolved issues have remained as a thorn in the side of the two neighbours' bilateral relations. If the Indian Prime Minister Modi is finally able to deliver on his promise, it will indeed prove to be a milestone in the furtherance of good neighbourly relations between Bangladesh and India.
We believe given the huge mandate he has received from his people, Indian prime minister can make a true difference; he can well throw his weight behind the issue and accelerate the process of reaching the deals within a foreseeable timeframe.
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